Will that Midas desk really make your band sound better? Surely that Klark Teknik graphic cant make a whole lot of difference? Pay €100,000 for a PA or €10,000?

€18.50

€109

All the above questions are questions that I have asked myself before – other than the band bit, so in my case my client’s band. I ain’t gonna say buy the most expensive gear you can find, and I ain’t gonna say “just buy cheap shit”. With a combination of skill and knowing “the right tool for the job”, this post will show you how to maximize the rewards of spending your hard earned cash!

I like examples to help illustrate my points – so lets base this example on a recent gig. A few months ago, I set up a full PA system in Conary Community Hall. Quite a big system for a small venue – 4 subs and 2 tops. I placed 3 wedges on the stage. I set up a desk for front of house mix. The gig was a stop on a headline tour with Clive Barnes and Luan Parle, so audio quality was paramount.

Click for a larger view of the setup

I had planned to use Shure SM58′s as the mics for all the vocals – Gav Ralston, Luan Parle and Clive Barnes. But all of my 58′s were out on hire, and the person got stuck in Galway so couldn’t deliver them back in time. I had to dig to the bottom of the mic drawer, and embarrassingly had to bring a bunch of Behringer mics to the gig. I had bought them ages ago for dry hire to singer/songwriters etc. Ideal for that type of gig, but I didn’t put much faith in them for a very high end show!

Anyway, soundcheck time came and went. Then gig time came and went. Then many comments like the following came:

Best sound on the tour

- Gav Ralston (Musician with Luan Parle)

You outdid yourself tonight. The sound was fantastic.

- Pat Nolan (Conary Community Hall)

Thanks to Eoin on Sound. It makes our live’s so much easier when the sound is good.

- Luan Parle

Surprisingly these €20 mics sounded amazing!

Gav and Luan giving it socks!

So what just happened here? If I was buying equipment specially for this gig, and had known how these cheap mics would sound, would there be any point in spending 6 times more money to get Shure mics? No is in fact the correct answer. A different mic may have sounded different, but probably not better. In this case, the cheap Behringer mic was the right tool for the job.

But, there are many other factors to consider. Factors about the gig that I purposely neglected to mention at the start. I had a very high quality PA system for front of house. Monitors were exceptional EV wedges. I was mixing on a Yamaha 01v digital mixing console. The room naturally had nice acoustics. I spend 3 times longer setting the EQ on the mics than I would have if they were SM58′s.

So where does this leave us in regard to the original questions:

Will that Midas desk really make your band sound better?

If your PA system is crap, then no desk will make it sound better. If your sound engineer is crap, no desk will make it better. If your desk is crap but all the rest of the equipment is amazing, and you have a good sound engineer behind that crap desk – then it is very possible to have a fantastic sounding gig.

Surely that Klark Teknik graphic cant make a whole lot of difference?

Again, if the engineer can’t set a Behringer graphic EQ correctly, what makes you think a more expensive EQ will sound better? However, a quality engineer with a quality graphic can lead to stunning results!

Pay €100,000 for a PA or €10,000?

Again, if any part of the signal chain is degraded by worse equipment or people, your €100,000 PA can sound like a €100 PA. And the flip side to that… Good equipment and a good engineer can make your €10,000 PA sound like a €100,000 PA!

I’m confused… Do I buy the cheap shit?

Well, I think the main bit of advice is to invest in knowledge rather than expensive equipment. Do not get expensive equipment as a compromise for someone who knows their stuff. No matter how much you spend, your sound will not magically get better.

If you can’t drive, buying a flashy new expensive car won’t make you pass your test! Same goes for audio equipment!

Gavin Ralston, Luan Parle & Clive Barnes

Clive Barnes live in Conary

I have had the privilege of working with the following 2 artists before – Clive Barnes, and Luan Parle. Both in the same little venue in fact. And both were stunning!
Set in a little 80 seater venue nestled high in the Wicklow mountains, some of the best artists from around the world decide to grace the country stage. And they never fail to impress the – wait for it – 10 or 15 people that come to watch! Anyone that does come along goes out awestruck, and every single night we think “Oh its such a pity more people could not have seen that show”. But still -attendance stays the same.

So on Sunday, the 30th of May the 2 aforementioned artists will join each other on the same stage. Both are fantastic on their own, so this promises to be a great show. 2 for the price of one!

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CLIVE BARNES

“The Ghost Country”, released last September, is the sound of Clive Barnes at the top of his game as a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. His fourth studio album, “The Ghost Country” elevates Barnes to a truly unique sound having forged his style and delivery over years of touring the US and Europe with the likes of Eric Bibb, Taj Mahal, Jeff Beck, Alison Krauss, Seasick Steve, The Blind Boys of Alabama and many more. As a musician, Barnes is highly regarded as one of the finest performers on the roots circuit, a reputation solidified by the lyrical and song writing prowess on this latest collection of songs. Out of the studio and onto the stage, Barnes is not to be missed as a live performer for this is where the sheer raw honesty and energy in each track comes to life.

Sample Reviews:

Exuding a throat catching melancholy, and romantic and bleak in turns, it sounds like an album made for all eternity. Hotpress **** 4/5

There is an impressive colourful sweep to the intriguing lyrics…certainly his best album to date. Irish Times **** 4/5

“The Ghost Country” is available on iTunes by clicking the link below:

http://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/the-ghost-country/id323733818

Other purchase links on Clives websites at the page end.

Check out some Clive youtube videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CliveBarnesMusic

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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LUÁN PARLE

Luan Parle

Wicklow gir Luánl Parle is an established, popular and critically acclaimed artist in Ireland – with a constantly growing International fan base. She has one of the most visited myspace pages of any Irish artist with (3 million+ profile views).

She holds numerous Industry awards including: A Meteor for “Best Irish Female Artist”, a Tatler “Music Woman of the Year” a Big Buzz “Best Female Performer” and a Balcony TV “Best Female Video”. Luán has been writing and recording since the age of 11 and is a regular performer on national TV and national / local radio.

Luán had significant chart success with her album “Free” and the top ten hit single “Ghost” in 2008. She is currently writing and recording her new album and some of that material will be showcased on this mini tour. Gavin Ralston will also share the stage adding his multi instrumental skills to the mix.

Sample Reviews:

“Luán Parle is quite simply one of the most exciting singers to emerge from Ireland, or any other country for that matter! She is a superb song smith as well”. Evening Herald

“Luán Parle combines a glossy blend of contemporary / alt. Country, Folk, Pop & Rock. With her stunning looks, wonderful stage presence and obvious talent Parle could well be the next big star”. Hotpress

The album “Free” (which contains “Ghost”) and some of her other material is available on iTunes by clicking the link below:

http://itunes.apple.com/ie/artist/luan-parle/id16550032

Other purchase links on her websites at the page end.

Check out the official video to for the hit single “Ghost” here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spbTADWtjCI

The dedication of Pat Nolan (Barry in Fair City) must be credited. Never once has the lack of enthusiasm from the public managed to knock his. The point of this spiel is to demand that if you are within 4 hours of Dublin, you need to book a ticket for this gig and get your ass in the door. You even get a complimentary cup of tea or coffee after your long drive! Its going to be an amazing gig, and I would hate for you to be one of the unlucky ones who misses it.

Yours truly shall be behind the mixing desk, so be sure to pop over and say hello!

More details of the event are here: http://conary.net/